Mobile haptens in liposomes stimulate serotonin release by rat basophil leukemia cells in the presence of specific immunoglobulin E.

A new method for studying the physicochemical determinants of IgE-mediated activation of basophils is described. Rat basophil leukemia cells having IgE receptors were preincubated with monoclonal anti-dinitrophenyl IgE. These cells were then exposed to liposomes containing dinitrophenyl conjugated to phosphatidylethanolamine. The release of serotonin was measured. Using this system it was observed that liposomes containing dinitrophenyl conjugated to phosphatidylethanolamine by aminoethylformamidomethoxy acetyl (but not by caproic acid) were able to trigger the release of serotonin. "Solid" liposomes composed of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and 2 mol % hapten were more potent inducers of serotonin release than "fluid" liposomes composed of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine and hapten, but the fluid liposomes definitely triggered the cells to release serotonin. The addition of cholesterol to both types of liposomes enhanced their potency as activators and diminished the difference between the two types of phospholipid. This occurred despite the fact that cholesterol renders the solid liposomes fluid. Since it is unlikely that these fluid membranes can provide lateral forces that produce IgE-Fc receptor molecular clustering, we conclude that either receptor clustering is not necessary for basophil triggering, or molecular clustering is driven by molecular forces derived from IgE and components of the basophil cell.